1963 Map of Kettleman City

About this map

Kettleman City sits at the edge of a massive agricultural and industrial landscape, where the dry expanse of the Tulare Lake Bed meets the rising terrain of the Kettleman Hills. This 1963 survey, with revisions updated through the early 1980s, reveals a highly managed environment defined by large-scale water engineering and energy infrastructure. The prominent Blakeley Canal and the California Aqueduct cut across the valley floor, essential for the operations at West Lake Farms and the West Tulare Lands Ranch. The presence of the Kettleman Hills Compressor Station, numerous wells, and a network of pipelines indicates the significant role of oil and gas extraction in this region. This map illustrates the transition from the flat, reclaimed lake bed to the dissected slopes of Degollada and Arroyo Robador, showing how utility corridors and systematic road naming, such as Quebec Ave and Quincy Ave, organized the San Joaquin Valley interior.